03/05/2012 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today. Tonight's top story.

The first path in the world to stretch along a country's entire

coastline. As overseas visitor numbers fall in parts of Wales,

hopes it will bring more tourists whatever the weather. We picked

this area as having less traffic. If others were open up without so

many people, that would appeal to Also tonight. 31-year-old William

Jones in court charged with the murder of pensioner Peter Lewis who

had learning difficulties. Braving the damp weather to vote.

Just hours left now before the polls close in the council

elections. The fire service are called in to

deliver hay to horses stranded for days with no food. They were

starving when we got it. All the polls are well now.

The battle for promotion begins. Cardiff are aiming for Premier

League status and Wrexham need to Final preparations are being made

to open the Wales Coastal Path, the first continuous route around a

country's coastline anywhere in the world. It is a lengthy 870 miles in

total and has taken six years to complete. Our correspondent Hywel

Griffith is in Criccieth for us tonight. We have spent the day here

walking bits of the path and plenty of visitors have been taking an

interest. The signs mark out the 870 miles of this continuous route

around the country. It is hoped this path will bring in an extra

100,000 tourists to the country every year. But what is there for

them to do? What is there for them to see? The coastal path became

Pembrokeshire's unique selling point more than 40 years ago. Now,

the rest of Wales is joining in. Despite the weather, local ramblers

are celebrating access to 186 miles of coastline just got fully

extended to 870. It is great for the community. It brings in

economic benefit of up some people think it spoils the privacy but to

do something they should be sharing with everybody. It is there for

everybody to enjoy. It will be a world first, and the woman who made

it happen, former Environment Minister Jane Davidson, lists it as

one of her proudest achievements. The planned for that to happen in

2012. It was something like Wales's offer for the Olympics. We will do

stamina here in Wales. We have a real offer that everyone can be

involved in. It is hoped the coastal path will attract an extra

100 thousand tourists to Wales and translate into serious cash. It's

certainly something that appealed to these intrepid Australians.

were attracted to the isolated and remote areas and we pick this it

year as having less traffic. If there are others which were opened

up without so many people that would appeal to us. Figures from

Visit Britain show that we certainly need a boost. Only 3% of

overseas visitors who come to the UK make it to Wales. Of those that

do come, certain parts do better than others. The southeast saw a 6%

rise and visitor numbers grew by 4 % in North Wales, but they fell in

Mid and Southwest Wales. The sound of live gunfire, one slight fly in

the ointment. There are points along the path where you can't hug

the coast, like this military range here in Freshwater West

Pembrokeshire. Now they've put in a detour so you can a bit closer but

still stay out of the line of fire. A few others areas have also proven

tricky so walkers will have to head inland. The National Trust

properties that hug the coastline around the Menai Strait will be out

of bounds. As will a swathe of coast at Tremadog Bay around

Portmeirion. Further south and it will be a similar hike inland to

avoid the Dyfi Estuary. Lyn Jenkins, who owns a farm park overlooking

Cardigan Bay, has spent thousands in legal fees opposing the coastal

path access across his land, arguing it is unsafe for the public.

Women, children and toddlers would walk here. The fences on the inside,

not on the outside. There is a 150 ft vertical drop. Everybody here

has been frightened by this. majority though has been settled

through a spirit of co-operation. For the first time, all that Wales

has to offer, the steep cliffs, to the lush pastures and rolling sand

dunes, will be available should you choose to explore. One of the sites

that are run day brings visitors is the medieval castle on the hill.

With his coast path bring in extra visitors? I am joined by a couple

of guests. You already organise walking tours. How much interest

are you getting? We had something like a 50% increase in inquiries

from overseas. That is largely from the Continent. People live in

countries where there is not a great coastline and they want to be

part of the big event. How do you sell it to them? How do make it

unique? What would they be able to see? The coastal path is full of

history. To encourage them to come, you need to provide services such

as meat and Crete and transport and information services. -- meet and

greet. Our task wall along is to take the promoted routes that we

have and link them altogether. It has been clear from the start that

it will be totally impossible to get the coastline all the way

around. There are some sites with their art conservation sites. There

are a few places where we have not been able to get an agreement with

landowners. But you're still trying to iron out the wrinkles? Yes. The

current programme has another year to run. Our task is to make it more

coastal. I would stress that the path opening on Saturday is a very

good product. When you explain the path to your visitors, will you

tell them about it occasionally going in off the water could mark

yes. It is a misconception, quite understandable, but it is

completely coast. We have to Engineer the day's walk to make

sure it is as coastal as it possibly can be. The I am sure the

authorities will press on. Thank you for joining us. The official

launch is on Saturday. They will be 90 organised walks at different

points. A man has appeared in court in

Cardiff accused of murdering a pensioner in the hallway of his

home. 68-year-old Peter Lewis, who had learning difficulties, was

found with stab wounds in the early hours of Saturday morning. 31-year-

old William Stephen Jones was brought to Cardiff magistrates

court accused of the murder of Peter Lewis. 68-year-old Mr Lewis,

described by police as a vulnerable adult with learning difficulties,

died in hospital in the early hours of Saturday morning. He had been

stabbed in the stomach. He was discovered in the communal hallway

of his Claude Road flat in the Roath area of Cardiff. He had been

a founder member and trustee of the disabled rights group Cardiff

People First, who held a collection at a supermarket today in his

memory. Colleagues there say he was an inspiration to them all. During

the two-minute hearing, William Jones spoke only to confirm is name

and gave his address as a flat in Adamsdown. He was remanded in

custody until next Tuesday when A community councillor from

Manorbier in Pembrokeshire has won High Court backing to be rude

online about colleagues in what could be a landmark case. Malcolm

Calver had been censured by the Adjudication Panel for Wales for

ridiculing his colleagues on a community website. He claimed that

was a violation of his freedom of expression and today a High Court

Judge agreed, saying politicians are expected to have thick skins.

The seafront beach at Rhyl in Denbigshire will remain closed

until tomorrow morning at the earliest because of a raw sewage

spill. People are being warned to stay out of the sea after a nearby

pumping station was flooded during the recent heavy rain causing it to

break down and spill the waste. A sub-postmistress who stole more

than �14,000 to help keep a community shop open has escaped a

prison sentence. Margery Williams from Llanddaniel on Anglesey

admitted four charges of fraud against the Post Office. She was

given a year's suspended sentence and has already repaid the money to

the Post Office. Voters have just a few hours left

to get to the polls to elect councillors in all but one of

Wales' local authorities. More than 1,200 seats are being contested.

Anglesey is the only council not to hold an election. Voters there will

have to wait until next year. Our Political Editor Betsan Powys is at

Cardiff City Hall for us tonight. Does polling stations have been

open since first thing this morning and they remain open until 10pm

tonight. There is still time to go and vote. Some 1,200 seats are up

for grabs. Councillors will have a pretty tough job to do. Some of us

have been voting for town and community councillors as well. But

there is no fault on Anglesey. Bat has been delayed for 12 months.

That is because external commissioners have taken over the

executive roles at that council. A external help means a no vote on

Anglesey. It was business as usual. There were concerns about serious

issues. While the council gets its house in order, voting is on hold.

It feels a bit strange, looking at the country going through an

election and we have not got one. We are where we are and we have to

get on with it. Changes are being made with progress in improving the

way committees are run and better public engagement. Once

constituency boundaries are redrawn, polling stations will reopen.

think it is about time they grew up and started getting their act

together. Not a very happy taxpayer. The market is a fine example of the

council not doing a good job of it for the it has been poorly run.

Councillors get well paid for up they used to do the job for nothing

when I was younger. They get paid a colossal amount of money. The aim

of the commissioners is to hand more power back to councillors. If

all goes according to plan, Agassi will have its own election this

time next year. People will then have a chance to have their say and

how the island is run. Unless you live on Anglesey, there are still

about three hours left to vote. In some parts of the country, the

counting will start immediately. We are hoping that one of the first

places to tell us how you voted his own Wrexham. We should know by

about one in the morning. That would be followed by places such as

Blaenau Gwent, Merthyr Tydfil and Flintshire. We hope we should know

by the time you wake in the morning. Early afternoon tomorrow we should

know what the results all are. After that, it might still take a

bit of battering to find out who is Still to come in the programme

tonight. Good evening from the Cardiff City

Stadium on the first night of the play-offs. Cardiff fans know all

about them, having lost in them for the last two years. Will it be

third time lucky this year? Tonight, they face West Ham. And Wrexham

fans head to Luton in fine voice, as they try to take a step towards

Fire crews in the Vale of Glamorgan have been on a mercy mission to

feed a large group of starving horses stranded by rising flood

water. Animal welfare campaigners say the 16 horses and young foals

have been without food for days and were getting weaker by the hour.

Nick Palit reports. Confined to this thin strip of

high-ground, a disused railway embankment is the only place these

horses can get a firm footing. Normally, they're fed through the

fence from the roadside, but local people in Sully haven't been able

to get near them for days. 11 horses and five foals were stranded

in this field which has turned into a lake after the recent rain. Some

of the horses were up to their necks in water. I spoke to who I

was told was the owner and he denied ownership. I asked him to

move the Hayley Jones airfield and your feet -- refused. They were

swimming up to their necks yesterday. So the fire officers

were called in to help get dry hay to the starving animals. We have

found a route across and the firefighters are checking of the

depth as they go. The problem of stray and abandoned horses is

widespread across South Wales. The animals are often dumped on other

people's land - so-called fly- grazing. Here at Sully, it's a

complicated situation. The landowner says they're not

trespassing but denies they are his horses, so it falls to volunteers

to feed them. I have been working with some of these local people for

months. They generously come down on a daily basis to feed the

animals. I have been working with the lover of poverty and the police

to bring about some sort of action in the interest of the animals.

Several trips across the water and it's mission accomplished, for

today at least. They are starving when we got up there. But they are

all well. All the foals are really well and they will be OK now they

have the food. But this isn't a problem that's going to go away and

if the rain returns, it looks like fire crews will be back too.

People living in a row of cottages in Mumbles, near Swansea, have had

to leave their homes after strong winds blew down a tree and

dislodged a large boulder resting on the hill above. They're now

worried the rock could fall and damage their homes. One resident

says he's been forced to stay with family because he fears for his

safety. That big boulder and several other small ones, the size

of a chair, any of those could start to fall again.

A professional golfer from Newport has been recognised for her role as

a successful Muslim woman in sport. 24-year-old Sahra Hassan has been

named UK Sports Woman of the Year by the Muslim Women's Sport

Foundation at Wembley Stadium. The awards honour female role models

from the Muslim community who have made sport more accessible.

There's a night of unbearable tension ahead for two of our

football teams, as the play-offs get underway. And Ashleigh's at the

Cardiff City Stadium this evening. Not everyone is a fan of the play-

offs but one thing's for certain, they deliver drama and tension on a

grand scale. Both Wrexham and Cardiff hope to take a big step

towards promotion this evening as the two leg play-off semi finals

get underway. This is becoming an annual fixture for Cardiff City.

This is the third season in a row they've reached this stage and they

know all about the agony, having failed in the play-offs for the

last two years. But this year, starting tonight against West Ham,

they're hoping the agony will be replaced with the ecstasy of

promotion to the Premier League. You would forgive Cardiff fans if

tonight their pre-match mood was more, oh no, then here we go. Last

year's semi-final defeat by Reading led to a change of manager and a

clear out of players but the current boss says even if the fans

are a bit wobbly, the players won't be. We find a great season, get

into the Carling Cup final and getting to penalties with Liverpool.

I think there is a strength of character that will enable us to

handle this. Martin McKay is a former West Ham captain and started

his managerial reign in Cardiff with a shock victory over his old

club. The Hammers got their own back in Cardiff played in the

season and they have a superb recent record. When you get to the

play-offs, it has become who has the calmest approach on the day.

You also need a bit of luck. It's about who tactically gets it right

over the 180 minutes. It has been a special season for Wrexham

supporters and they would love to see their club return to the

verbally. -- Football League. Today, fans boarded buses bound for Luton

and the club who beat them at this stage last season. We want to have

everybody fresh and fit for these next couple of games. All the

strikers scored on the weekend so I am quite pleased. It is a matter of

picking a team to win a game. tonight's games are over, it will

only be half time but if all goes well, both Wrexham and Cardiff

could have one foot at Wembley when the final whistle blows.

I am joined by the former Cardiff City and Wales striker, Ian Walsh.

What is the minimum requirement tonight? It is still to be in the

tide after tonight. It is only half-time tonight. You have to be

patient but I think Martin McKay has done particularly well here. He

has a team ethic and a play for each other. Cardiff will be

difficult to beat. A lot has been made of whether Cardiff do tend to

choke on the big occasion. What have you made of the character of

this team? Marty McKay it came in at the start of the season and had

a big clear-out. He has brought in new faces this season. I think they

deserve to be in the play-offs and I think they will be very difficult

to beat. I think Cardiff have got a great chance. A quick word about

Wrexham who played Luton tonight. Do you think Wrexham can do it this

year? They can but what they can't do is go three goals down and a

first half an hour like they did last season. They have to be in it

over the 180 minutes. Thank you very much.

Of course, this stadium is also home to the Cardiff Blues and today,

they confirmed that former Scarlets coach, Phil Davies, is their new

director of rugby. The region say the former Wales forward and under-

20's coach has just the right experience, especially from his

time in charge of Leeds, to help develop their young squad and

deliver success. Snooker and Carmarthen's Matthew

Stevens starts his World Championship semi final against

Ronnie O'Sullivan later. He's twice been a runner up in the competition.

He won't be joined by Cimla's Jamie Jones though, who after a nail

biting evening at the crucible last night, lost his quarter final match

13-11 to Ali Carter. To get to the quarter-finals on my debut is a

good achievement. I have learnt a lot and I can carry a lot through

to next season and I can be confident in my ability next season.

The snooker starts at 7:00pm on BBC 2 Wales. And then there are

highlights of the football on BBC 2 Wales at 11:20pm. And as always,

there's live coverage of tonight's first leg at the Cardiff City

Stadium on all Radio Wales frequencies, except FM North, where

there'll be commentary of Wrexham's match at Luton. Hope you enjoy a

great night of sport. Now, here's If you're fed up with the rain,

there's some good news. I can promise some better weather over

the weekend. Drier and brighter. Mind you, it's going to turn colder

with some frost. Talking of cold, last month was the coldest April in

Wales since 1989. It was colder than March by 1.4 degrees. April

has been colder than March in the past but the difference in

temperature this year is the biggest we've seen since records

began in 1910. Tonight, much of the country will be cloudy and damp in

places. A little rain and drizzle too. Most of it light in parts of

mid Wales and the south. Otherwise dry. Lowest temperatures around 6C

to 9C with light winds. Tomorrow morning, plenty of cloud. The odd

spot of light rain or drizzle. Some hill fog. Otherwise dry.

Temperatures in Cardigan around 9C with light winds. During the day, a

cold front will move south, bringing a little rain to the north

during the afternoon. Elsewhere, dry bar the odd light shower. It

may brighten-up in parts of the south and west. Top temperatures,

10C to 13C, with light to moderate winds. Tomorrow evening, spots of

rain will move south and clear. Becoming dry overnight and turning

colder. Ground frost in parts of Mid Wales and the north. Saturday,

a better day. Feeling cool, but dry. A sunny start but cloudier by the

afternoon. Saturday night will be cold with a fairly widespread frost.

So gardeners beware. Sunday should be dry. Monday, cloudier and

breezier with a risk of some rain. Lots going on this weekend. The Bro

Tregaron Walking Festival is taking place, including a 12 mile walk

with Olympic events. While in Crynant, there's a Steam and

Vintage Show this weekend. If you're going along, it should be

dry. Finally, good luck to all those taking part in the Celtic

Challenge Rowing Race from Ireland to Aberystwyth this weekend,

including teams from Aberdyfi. We wish you a safe crossing and good

weather. Now, as we've been hearing, the Wales Coastal Path officially

opens this weekend and in tomorrow night's programme, I'll be putting

on my walking boots and exploring the coastline around Llangrannog in

Ceredigion. I met plenty of fellow walkers, enjoying the scenery, and

I also caught up with local traders who hope they'll benefit from the

new path too. That's at 6:30pm The official opening is on Saturday

and I will be in Aberystwyth on the prom so pop down and say hello.